Jordan Times
Friday, June 3, 2005
King commends Coptic
Church's role in promoting coexistence
By Mahmoud Al Abed
AMMAN/DEAD SEA — His Majesty King Abdullah on Thursday praised the role of the
Coptic Church in promoting Islamic-Christian coexistence and entrenching the
values of tolerance and moderation urged by monotheist faiths.
During a meeting with Coptic Orthodox Pope Shenouda III of Egypt, the King
referred to the Amman Message, a document the Kingdom circulated last year that
spells out Jordan's understanding of Islam as a peaceful and constructive
religion.
Pope Shenouda commended the King's efforts in “extending bridges of
communication and cooperation between members of the different cultures,” adding
that Jordan was a brilliant example of Muslim-Christian coexistence.
The Coptic pontiff arrived in Amman for a four-day visit yesterday, his first
ever to the Kingdom, where he attended the closed-door meetings of the executive
committee of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) at the Dead Sea.
The Pope is scheduled to visit the Baptism Site near the Jordan River on Friday
morning, as the first stop in a tour of Christian religious sites in Jordan,
including Mount Nebo.
Officials and religious leaders have said that Pope Shenouda's visit to the
Baptism Site was “a recognition by the Coptic Christians of the authenticity of
the site where Christ was baptised two millenniums ago.
On Saturday, Pope Shenouda III is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for St.
Antonius Monastery in Madaba and visit the Coptic Church in Abdali, Amman, which
is attended by a congregation of 8,000 members, mostly Egyptian expatriates.
According to Wafa F. Goussous from the MECC's Amman office, the executive
committee comprises 24 members, in addition to the four elected presidents of
“families” or sects represented in the council, which describes itself as “a
fellowship of churches relating itself to the mainstream of the modern
ecumenical movement.”
The inauguration ceremony of the MECC fourth biannual conference started with
remarks by the pope, who urged the council members to pursue for perfection in
their work and to always take the initiative for good deeds.
Ambassadors present credentials
Meanwhile, the Monarch received the credentials of ambassadors from several
countries yesterday, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
Syrian Ambassador Ali Hajj Hmoud, Korean Ambassador Shin Yeon-sung, Indian
Ambassador Ratakonda Dayakar, Peruvian Ambassador Cesar Castillo, Ambassador of
Serbia and Montenegro Gordana Anicic, also visited the Royal cemetery.